Inflating device for life preservers



Sept. 8, 1964 F. R. SHERIDAN INFLATING DEVICE FOR LIFE PRESERVERS FiledAug. 21, 1961 Francis RSheridan INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,147,885 INFLATING DEVICE FOR LIFE PRESERVERSFrancis Raymond Sheridan, 1706 Grogery Way, Bremerton, Wash. Filed Aug.21, 1961, Ser. No. 132,875 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-5) This invention relatesto an inflating device for life preservers.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an inflatingdevice which when combined with an inflatable type life preserver isadapted automatically to inflate the preserver when the latter isimmersed in water.

A further object is to provide an inflating device for life preserversutilizing replaceable compressed gas capsules and improved meansassociated therewith for releasing the gas from such capsules upon theimmersion of the life preserver in water.

Another object is to provide an inflating device for life preserverswhich is compact in structure and which can be combined therewithwithout adding any bulkiness or hinder the use of the preserver.

Another object is to provide a device of the type described which isreadily recharged after use, which is positive in operation to insuresafety in its automatic use, and which employs auxiliary manuallyoperable means capable of use independently of the automatic means.

Briefly stated, the present inflating device embodies a waterproofhousing which contains one or more compressed gas capsules and which hasoutlet means leading to the interior of an inflatable type lifepreserver. Also incorporated in the housing are support means forremovably holding the compressed gas capsules, spring pressed puncturingmeans adapted to puncture the capsules, and trigger means engageablewith the puncturing means and being in turn associated with a tripmechanism operable by water pressure.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects thereofwill become more apparent from the accompanying specification and claimsconsidered together with the accompanying drawing comprising a view inelevation with some parts broken away and some parts in section betterto illustrate internal structure and wherein like numerals of referenceindicate like parts.

Referring now particularly to the drawing, the present inflating devicecomprises a housing having a cap 12 which terminates in a neck 14communicating interiorly with an inner chamber of an inflatable typelife preserver, not shown. Housing 10 has a top flange 16 and cap 12 hasa peripheral flange 18, such flanges providing for suitable removableconnection of the parts as by bolts 20. Disposed interiorly of thehousing is a holder 22 having upper lateral extensions 24 clampedbetween flanges 16 and 18 and having a depending body portion 26. Bodyportion 26 has a pair of open-ended cylinder portions 28 slidablyreceiving plungers 30 through their upper ends having downwardlyprojecting spurs 32 and up Wardly projecting shanks 34 notched at theirupper end at 36. Cylinder portions 28 are provided with side openings37.

Compression springs 38 are mounted on the shanks 34 and are confinedbetween plungers 30 and the under surface of extensions 24. Thesesprings serve to urge the plungers forcefully downwardly into the lowerend of cylinder portion 28. Such lower end portions of each cylinder areadapted to receive and hold by means of set screws 40 capsules 42containing a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide. These capsules arecommercially available and have a necked portion 44, and a top closingwall on the neck adapted for puncturing. The lower end 3,147,885Patented Sept. 8, 1964 of cylinder portions 28 of the holder may assumeappropriate dimension for the reception of the necked por tion of thegas capsules.

The plungers are arranged to be held in an upper retracted or cockedposition by means of trigger bars 46 having an angular portion 48engageable with notches 36 in the shanks 34. The inner end of eachlateral extension 24 has an upwardly extending projection 50 adapted forengagement with one end of an insertable trigger bar 46, theinterengaging edge portions of the trigger bars and projections 50 beinginclined to permit ready release of the trigger bars from their positionon the extension.

Trigger bars 46 are associated with a trip assembly adapted to hold thetrigger bars in engageable position with the plungers or to release thebars and permit the plungers to be projected downwardly in a puncturingoperation. The trip assembly comprises a rod 54 slidably mounted in abearing 56 supported on the frame 22. Rod 54 has an upper head 58 onwhich is pivotally mounted, by means of a pin 60, a pair of toggle arms62 controlling the functioning of trigger bars 46. For this purpose theupper ends of the toggle arms have hook portions or catch means 64adapted to engage the adjacent ends of the bars when the rod 54 is in alowered or set position but which are adapted to be disengaged from thebars upon upward movement of the rod 54.

Rod 54 extends downwardly toward the bottom end of the housing butterminates short of such end. This end of the housing is open and suchopening is closed by a wall 66 connected to a flexible, reversely bentgasket 68, the connecting joins in the wall 66 and housing comprisingreversely bent edge portions 70, 72 respectively, which may be crimpedon the gasket to form a watertight connection. Also mounted in the joint72 is a false bottom wall 74 having perforations 76 which permit waterto reach the wall 66. Wall 74 serves to prevent accidental trippingmovement of wall 66 but since it is perforated it does not affectoperation of the wall 66 by water pressure.

To charge the present device for use, the plungers are retracted and setin such retracted position by trigger bars 46 and then the gas capsules42 are mounted in the lower ends of cylinder portions 28, the trip rod54 being moved to its lower position whereby hooks 64 of toggle arms 62engage and hold the trigger bars 46 in their set positions. When thelife jacket is immersed in water, water pressure against the bottom wall66 moves this wall upwardly, gasket 68 flexing to permit such movement.Rod 54 moves upwardly with the wall 66 and hooks 64 thus becomedisengaged from the trigger bars 46. Plungers 30 are thus released andare forcefully projected downwardly under the action of springs 38whereby spurs 32 puncture the gas capsules for releasing the compressedgas. The gas moves through the apertures 37 in the cylinders 28 andthrough the neck 14 to inflate the life preserver.

To increase the force necessary to eifect operation of the trip rod 54,as when it is desired that the device be submerged a greater distancebelow the surface than for normal use before it is set off, one or moretension springs 78 may be connected between the bottom wall 66 and falsebottom 74. The strength of spring used may be varied to vary the depthat which the trip mechanism is operated.

The present device also incorporates safety means for manual operationof the trip mechanism, comprising an angular lever 80 pivoted in abracket 82 and having a projection 84 extending upwardly through theapertured wall 74 and adapted for engagement with the wall 66immediately adjacent the trip rod 54. Thus, if it is desired that manualoperation of the trip mechanism be accomplished, the lever 80 is graspedby the operator and pivoted sufliciently to trip the mechanism.

The present device also incorporates a. flap valve 86 seated on a rib 88in neck 14. The valve is arranged to prevent any pressure which mayexist in the preserver proper from entering the housing, and thusoperation of the present inflating device is not influenced byconditions within the preserver.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim;

1. An inflating device for life preservers comprising a housing havingan open bottom, a flexible gasket secured to the housing around thebottom opening, a wall portion secured to the gasket for closing theopening, the wall portion being movable inwardly of the housing by waterpressure upon immersion of the housing and receiving its movement byflexing of the gasket, a holder in the housing adapted to support apuncturahle compressed gas capsule, spring pressed puncturing meansslidably mounted in the holder for movement between a retracted positionand a puncturing position for releasing gas from a compressed gascapsule, a rod slidably mounted in the holder and disposed in engagementat one of its ends with the movable wall for inward movement therewith,catch means mounted pivotally at one end on the other end of the rod andpivotally engaging the housing at its opposite end for pivotal movementbetween released and catch positions, the catch means being movable toreleased position by inward movement of the rod, and an insertabletrigger bar freely supported on the holder and engaged at one endreleasably by the spring pressed puncturing means when in retractedposition and at its opposite end releasably by the catch means when incatch position to hold the puncturing means in retracted position, thetrigger bar being arranged to be released from the holder and puncturingmeans and catch means upon movement of the catch means to its releasedposition by inward movement of said wall portion.

2. The inflating device of claim 1 including a perforated bottom wallfixed to the housing, and spring means interconnecting the bottom walland the movable wall portion for resisting movement of the movable wallportion under the force of water pressure.

3. The inflating device of claim 1 wherein the catch means comprises apair of toggle links connected together pivotally at one of their ends,one of the links being connected pivotally to the rod, and the otherlink having a catch notch at the end opposite its connection to the saidone link, said other link pivotally engaging the holder in said notchand being pivotable by the rod between a catch position freely overlyingone end of the trigger bar and a released position disengaging thetrigger bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,117,639 Cooley Nov. 17, 1914 1,704,944 Johann Mar. 12, 1929 2,675,144Elikann Apr. 13, 1954 2,786,599 Higbee Mar. 26, 1957 2,946,484 StonerJuly 26, 1960

1. AN INFLATING DEVICE FOR LIFE PRESERVERS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVINGAN OPEN BOTTOM, A FLEXIBLE GASKET SECURED TO THE HOUSING AROUND THEBOTTOM OPENING, A WALL PORTION SECURED TO THE GASKET FOR CLOSING THEOPENING, THE WALL PORTION BEING MOVABLE INWARDLY OF THE HOUSING BY WATERPRESSURE UPON IMMERSION OF THE HOUSING AND RECEIVING ITS MOVEMENT BYFLEXING OF THE GASKET, A HOLDER IN THE HOUSING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT APUNCTURABLE COMPRESSED GAS CAPSULE, SPRING PRESSED PUNCTURING MEANSSLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE HOLDER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITIONAND A PUNCTURING POSITION FOR RELEASING GAS FROM A COMPRESSED GASCAPSULE, A ROD SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE HOLDER AND DISPOSED IN ENGAGEMENTAT ONE OF ITS ENDS WITH THE MOVABLE WALL FOR INWARD MOVEMENT THEREWITH,CATCH MEANS MOUNTED PIVOTALLY AT ONE END ON THE OTHER END OF THE ROD ANDPIVOTALLY ENGAGING THE HOUSING AT ITS OPPOSITE END FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENTBETWEEN RELEASED AND CATCH POSITIONS, THE CATCH MEANS BEING MOVABLE TORELEASED POSITION BY INWARD MOVEMENT OF THE ROD, AND AN INSERTABLETRIGGER BAR FREELY SUPPORTED ON THE HOLDER AND ENGAGED AT ONE ENDRELEASABLY BY THE SPRING PRESSED PUNCTURING MEANS WHEN IN RETRACTEDPOSITION AND AT ITS OPPOSITE END RELEASABLY BY THE CATCH MEANS WHEN INCATCH POSITION TO HOLD THE PUNCTURING MEANS IN RETRACTED POSITION, THETRIGGER BAR BEING ARRANGED TO BE RELEASED FROM THE HOLDER AND PUNCTURINGMEANS AND CATCH MEANS UPON MOVEMENT OF THE CATCH MEANS TO ITS RELEASEDPOSITION BY INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID WALL PORTION.